Enjoy the nostalgia of Easter in the Remembered Leon

Many times we have referred to that life holds many surprises, some we were not prepared to deal with them, others did not even know they were going to occur, for example, birth of a country that lived only a short time, never was thought that our mission was beyond the ground in other places, where they probably contain karmitas our debts, our commitment, we must seek to function in our personal growth and spiritual order where we experience great trials.

No doubt, that in my lifetime, we will have faced many situations, in some, have come forward, perhaps not in others, of course, perhaps we have met many people, some special, others simply inter-passing, probably we will have learned what is living and able to seize the opportunity given to us, as in my case, perhaps we will face trials of survival, which has given me another opportunity to continue living, growing, sharing, learning, meeting with my debts and above all, learning to appreciate what it represents life and everything that surrounds it.

In fact, that while we remain in this plane, often the memories, especially in my case, childhood, emerge with much nostalgia, for what they contain, so that was experienced, representing at that stage.

Thus, crop and makes us get into those scenarios in which we operate, as the case of Easter in León.

In my memory, vision box stored in my memories, those moments come. that despite being a child, he enjoyed every day of Holy Week, especially because he lived near the city's main street, the famous Royal Street, particularly compared to Hospice St. John of God, everything is close and that allowed me to walk the streets and go into all the processions that take place, including the Via Crucis and visits to nearby churches all I confess I enjoyed the colorful flowers decorations neatly arranged, the way as they are adorned, and I also got very curious devotion of the faithful in the celebration if this Week.

On other occasions I have written about this wonderful week to be held in León and has through a seudónimoutilkizado expressed, there is no doubt that Leon still retains in its center the attractive colonial architecture, noticeable in houses, streets, monuments and churches. A throughout the entire city can be seen the interesting colonial churches: La Merced, El Calvario, La Catedral, San Juan, San Francisco, San Juan Bautista de Subtiava and gathering.

There was a procession that I liked, such as the burrito, which precisely in the domain of classes morning, a day before the start of Holy Week, a statue of Jesus in size, or in place of a man and representing their robes, riding a small donkey. With it, priests and hundreds of people they carry, all palm leaves begin a procession through many streets, accompanied by cheerful music philharmonic, known in Nicaragua as "chicheros" and as it is said, the tour, which lasts several hours, starts and ends in the organized church.

It is very true when it says that this is called the "Procession of the Palms", but what happens in Nicaragua is popularly known as the "Procession of the donkey" because many churches use burriquita true for her. This event commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, when he was received by its residents with palm branches in their hands.

Of course, all have a particular veneration of a saint, each with a special celebration just comes to my mind the San Benito celebrated on Easter Monday it was with great fervor that I would go further to make chicha to be offers to the faithful.

Undoubtedly, the most ceremonious of Via are the Cross and Burial. With respect to the first play is allegorically which relates to the Bible recounts the painful journey of Jesus to the place of his death, his Cross and harassed by soldiers with whips. Jesus stopped 14 times during his journey to Calvary, and all this time is also represented in a procession during Holy Week procession of the Via Crucis Santa.La held every Friday during Lent (40 days before Holy Saturday), culminating Good Friday itself. In the morning, the priests and parishioners take the image of Jesus and walk with it the town or city streets, performing songs and making 14 stops, the procession stops at fourteen houses, where an altar has been willing to Jesus, the image placed on it and the people pray, sing and make requests. Each station houses was previously chosen by the priest at the request of the resident family, which calls for the procession as a thank you receive or request for divine intervention.

My great-uncle, Juan de Dios Vanegas is one of those who have written with sensitivity to the Holy Week in León, has a book about it, and fortunately I keep these dates I read with great interest, since I moved easily past.

Precisely, it is said that Vanegas book was, at the time, in its first edition in 1926, an invitation to the parish of Leon to these religious holidays should remain solemn and in all walks of life to feel and live in its best Easter in León. I seldom enjoy in your home where all the processions passed, however it always decorated the house for those days.

With regard to the Holy Burial, as described, is celebrated on Friday it is performed the Via Crucis, the evening is organized Burial procession, during which commemorates the death and burial of Jesus . This is a very solemn procession and sounds. In churches, the image of Christ is placed in a coffin, which is loaded on the shoulders of several people while touring various streets, followed by a silent crowd, who carry candles or torches. The slow march is accompanied by the beating of drums and the sound of wind instruments who play funeral marches.

It should be noted that Leon produced abundant and artistic carpets of sawdust (waste from sawmills) in the streets and avenues of the city where he spent the night in the Holy Burial

Of course, that Easter ends with the well-known Encuentro procession in which there is music and joy. Since leaving people in a church procession with the image of Jesus which is taken to a point in the city, as far as another procession carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary. That is the meeting, the meeting of the risen Jesus with his mother. Upon meeting the two processions, people show a lot of joy with singing and prayers. Then the procession returned to their images to their starting points. The procession of the meeting is held on the morning of last day of Easter, that is, Easter Sunday.

I should note in closing, that I have had to be in many countries for those things in life and spend Easter in some of them, of course, every one, held in accordance with their traditions, customs, faith, but I must confess objectively that the Leon is very special, very difficult to forget it, always be in my memory, memories and certainly imbued with nostalgia.